iH Hotels Venezia Salute Palace

The staff were kind and sorted us out with a heater. When a general strike made it hard to leave the island on our last day, they also managed to arrange a water taxi, which was no small feat since everyone wanted one. The location is fantastic, close to everything but away from the San Marco tourist crowds. We had booked two rooms. The second-floor one was lovely, with good light and a view. Mine was on the ground floor and felt like a dungeon: dark, cold and damp, with a brick flood wall blocking half the window. Some of the ground-floor rooms are poor, and you don't know which kind you'll be assigned. If I'd had the upstairs room, my review would have been glowing, but mine wasn't great. The thermostat photo shows how cold and damp it was.

I had a really pleasant stay. The staff were friendly and helpful, and my room was cleaned and refreshed each day. It was spacious, bright and modern, with a balcony, and everything was neat and tidy.

The alternative room and the rest of the hotel were really nice, and the location was great. Getting that room meant paying for an upgrade, though, and by then it felt like the only way to get out of what we'd been given. We'd booked a Standard Double, but the photos and description didn't match our room. It was small and dark, right by reception, with bars on the windows and a brick wall for a view. The front desk staff weren't interested and kept saying the hotel was full, even though their website showed other rooms. They did find us an alternative despite supposedly being fully booked. Based on our experience and similar reviews, it felt as if visitors were put in these rooms so they might pay to move to a more expensive one. The hotel and third-party booking sites need to review how this room type is advertised.

The corridor decor was superb, and the reception staff were welcoming and helpful. The room was small, but that was what I expected for the price. The cleaners kept it spotless, and we'd definitely come back.